Yeah it’s still largely speculation, and they’re definitely butthurt over how weak they’ve been made to look, but I’m willing to consider it since JaN knew exactly where and when they were coming across. I wouldn’t be surprised by Turkey’s involvement in it, even if it was one or a couple of Turkish officials taking the initiative without direct orders from above.
Do you know if the negotiations with JaN involved safe passage? That would at least be a fairly straight forward way for them to have found out the time/place.

Democratic Revolution, Syrian Style said: August 26, 20159:25 am

My understanding is that yes, the agreement involved safe passage which is why I’m now skeptical of this claim re: Turkey. I’m also wondering if this agreement is why Obama officials were so surprised Nusra wiped out Division 30 upon re-entry. That would make more sense than just sheer stupidity on their part.

Another thing worth noting is that Ahrar al-Sham tweeps complained bitterly about what happened to Division 30. Specifically, they were angry that Nusra made an agreement and then broke it and were further saying stuff like ‘if these guys are Western agents/sahwa, why not bring them before a sharia court [controlled by multiple rebel groups, not just AQ]/’ That’s not an official stance of course, just prominent Ahrar al-Sham officials. They’re taking this outreach to Turkey/the West pretty seriously and the Division 30 thing could have been a big blow to that. Fortunately, it wasn’t.

Ah okay thanks, I definitely missed details like the Ahrar al-Sham complaints since I didn’t have internet access/cell phone reception for the 12 hours a day I was at work while this was all going on haha.
Ahrar’s attempts at outreach have been pretty interesting though.

Democratic Revolution, Syrian Style said: August 28, 201510:36 am

My own take is that Nusra’s massacre of Druze and Ahrar’s inability/unwillingness to go to war to stop them did a lot to push them into making serious attempts to gain allies abroad.